


talk so lightly (hide the truth)

by princehuangss



Series: plane tickets home [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, brief markhyuck, cliche asf, half a teaspoon of angst, hencas deserve the whole world, hencas go home for the holidays, kunten and renyang are mentioned, like i promise its barely there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:47:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25390369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princehuangss/pseuds/princehuangss
Summary: Kunhang would have never guessed in a million years that he’d be spending winter break with Wong Yukhei, of all people. In his hometown, no less. With his parents!Like most things in Kunhang’s life, it was all Dejun’s fault.— A fic in which Kunhang is somehow roped into spending Christmas with his crush Yukhei. Will it be the death of him? Probably not, but Kunhang has always been one for dramatics.
Relationships: Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Series: plane tickets home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920058
Comments: 17
Kudos: 140





	talk so lightly (hide the truth)

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is actually my baby so i hope you enjoy.
> 
> title inspiration: sick of losing soulmates by dodie

Kunhang would have never guessed in a million years that he’d be spending winter break with Wong Yukhei, of all people. In his hometown, no less. With his  _ parents.  _

Like most things in Kunhang’s life, it was all Dejun’s fault.

The whole group had gone out for hotpot one last time before they all parted ways and went on winter break. They were all in the middle of excitedly discussing their plans; Ten and Kun were going on a ski trip together, Yangyang and Dejun were going home to see family, and Sicheng was staying in SoCal with his cousins. Yukhei, too, was returning home to the East Coast to spend the holidays with his parents.

Kunhang was  _ supposed  _ to return to his home in San Francisco and see his parents, but his parents had informed him just last week that  _ sorry, we’ll be on a business trip in China and we won’t be home for the holidays.  _ Kunhang could have gone back anyways, but he figured, why waste money on round trip plane tickets when he’d be alone either way?

He wasn’t bothered by it. Or at least that was what he was trying to tell himself.

Ten must have noticed his sudden silence, because he turned his attention onto him. 

“Hennie, what are you doing for break?” He asked, nudging his arm.

Kunhang cringed at the lame nickname and sunk down in the booth. He shrugged, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.

“‘Dunno. Parents will be in China on business, so I’ll probably just stay here.”

Ten gasped. “No, you can’t do that! That’s so sad!”

Kunhang rolled his eyes. “Wow, no need to rub it in or anything.”

“I would offer to take you with Kun and I, but our hotel room has only one bed, and I don’t think you ski or snowboard.”

Kunang shook his head and struggled to suppress another cringe. “It’s fine,” he said, and really, he was. He felt like spending a whole week third wheeling on Ten and Kun’s disgusting shenanigans would somehow be worse than spending it alone at Uni. Besides, Ten was right— he had never participated in winter sports his whole life, and he’d probably break both legs trying.

Dejun spoke up from the other end of the table. “You should spend the break with Xuxi!” he suggested gleefully.

Kunhang’s neck almost snapped from the force with which he swung his head around to glare at Dejun. He was the only one who knew about Kunhang’s pathetic crush on Yukhei, and the little shit always used it to make Kunhang's life a living hell.

“No, I really wouldn’t want to intrude on Xuxi’s time with his family,” Kunhang said with fake friendliness through gritted teeth.

“Oh, but you know Xuxi would have no problem accommodating you, he’s an angel!” Dejun spoke with a devilish grin on his face and batted his eyelashes at Yukhei. “Isn’t that right, Xuxi?”

Yukhei, bless his heart, nodded vigorously and smiled his 1000 watt smile. “Of course, that’d be so fun! You’d get to meet my mom too, she’d love you!”

Kunhang’s stomach shriveled up even more. He’d have to meet Yukhei’s  _ parents,  _ who had to be just as beautiful and kind as their son, and Kunhang didn’t think he could do this—

“It’s settled then!” Dejun clapped his hands in conclusion. “Hennie’s going to stay with Yukhei in New York!” The whole table joined in a collective cheer and went back to being just as rowdy as before, if not even more with the exciting new development.

Kunhang was unable to join in, too busy trying not to shit his pants in fear. When he caught Dejun’s eye across the table, he scowled. Dejun only smiled and clasped his hands beneath his chin like some sort of baby angel. 

_ God, that little shit was going to get it when they got home. _   
  
  


Kunhang marched into his and Dejun’s shared apartment, huffing and stomping around like a toddler having a tantrum. Dejun followed behind, laughing and remaining completely unbothered.

“I can’t believe you would do this to me,” Kunhang moaned and flopped onto their shared couch. “Actually no, this is absolutely something you would do. You’re a little cretin. I can’t believe I ever thought it was a good idea to tell you about Yukhei.”

“Oh, come on, you big baby! It won’t be  _ that  _ bad!” Dejun flopped himself down on top of Kunhang where he was laying face down dramatically.

Maybe if Kunhang kept his face buried in the cushions like this for long enough, he would suffocate and finally be put out of his misery.

“You don’t know that,” he grumbled at Dejun, voice muffled.

“Think about it this way. If Yukhei finally realizes his big fat crush on you and you guys get together while you’re in New York, you’ll have me to thank.”

Kunhang rolled his eyes. “Well, gladly I won’t have to worry about showing you any sort of gratitude because that’s definitely not happening. Yukhei doesn’t like me like that.”

“And how do you know that?!” Dejun squawked.

Kunhang sat up, shoving Dejun’s tiny body off of him, causing the boy to let out an indignant squeal as he tumbled to the ground. “Because we’ve been over this before Jun,” Kunhang said, “He’s tall and hot and athletic and smart and an actual angel from above. I’m just a small, awkward looking dumbass with way too many gay feelings.”

“Ok, first of all, shut up. I personally find you very attractive, so what you’re saying is attacking  _ my  _ taste in men.”

“You don’t even fucking like me!”

“What are you talking about Hennie,” Dejun cooed, “I love you so much.” Kunhang shrieked when Dejun tried to cradle Kunhang’s head in his hands, and he promptly shoved his friend back onto the floor. Where he belonged, in Kunhang’s personal opinion.

“You’re not helping here.”

“I’m being serious, though! You’re funny and kind, and much hotter than you think. You’re being too hard on yourself. Besides, Xuxi’s not perfect, he has flaws too you know!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah! One time he tried to hug me after he worked out and he smelled like a dumpster. Also, I’m pretty sure he wears his underwear for like, three days straight.”

Kunhang fake gagged. “Thank god he’s hot, and also chaotically bi. He moves like a straight boy sometimes.”

“See?” Dejun giggled. “Take this trip as an opportunity to get closer to him. Who knows, maybe he’ll shoot his shot before you.”

Kunhang nodded. “Thanks, love expert Jun. I’ll think about it.”

“You do that. You should also start packing, because Xuxi’s leaving tomorrow. I think he already has your plane ticket figured out. I’ll be in my room if you need me!” With that, Dejun got up from the floor next to the couch, giving Kunhang’s hair a good ruffle before retreating into his bedroom.

Kunhang sat on the couch for a few minutes longer, stewing. Dejun, as much as Kunhang hated to admit it, was sort of right. He had always automatically ruled out the possibility that Yukhei could like him back. It didn’t make the thought of confessing to one of your best friends any less terrifying, though.

Kunhang finally rose from the couch with a side, heading towards his room. He would need a good night's sleep if he had any hopes of surviving tomorrow.   
  
  
  


Yukhei arrived on Kunhang and Xiaojun’s front doorstep at 7 am sharp, like the dutiful boy he was. Xiaojun shoved Kunhang out the door with a smirk, shutting it right in his panicked face.

Much to Kunhang’s relief, Yukhei didn’t mention his strange behavior. He only picked up Kunhang’s suitcase, carrying it in one hand with ease. Kunhang was totally okay. Yup. Definitely not watching the way Yukhei’s biceps flexed from carrying the weight of the suitcase. His face was definitely not flaming red right now. 

It finally hit him when they arrived at the airport and passed through security. It was when Yukhei passed a hand in front of Kunhang’s zoned out face and told him that they had a couple hours to get breakfast that he realized,  _ oh god, it’s just Yukhei and me for a whole week. _

He told himself as they sat down in a Starbucks that he wasn’t nervous because it was  _ awkward  _ between them or anything. Kunhang had been good friends with Yukhei since freshman year of college, and he always felt comfortable in Yukhei’s presence.

It’s just that now, without their friends present, he’d have no one to cover for him when Yukhei inevitably did something cute and sent him into a gay panic.

“Here’s your coffee.” Yukhei placed the drink in front of Kunhang, promptly interrupting his train of thought. “Just a little bit of cream, the way you like it.”

Yukhei grinned warmly, his eyes sparkling. Kunhang’s heart went  _ ba-dump. _

“Thank you,” Kunhang said, trying to appear calm as he took a sip of his drink, “What’d you get?”

“Oh, just a double chocolate chip frappuccino.”

Kunhang snorted. “Not a drop of coffee in sight, I see.”

“Hey, it’s good!” Yukhei took a sip of his sugary concoction, brows furrowed in indignation. “Didn’t know you were a coffee elitist.”

Kunhang laughed a little harder. In all his panic, he had forgotten what great company Yukhei was. “Hey, I’m not judging, only observing.”

Yukhei only grumbled in response, dropping a paper Starbucks bag on the table between them. “Now I kinda regret buying you lemon cake. I don’t think you deserve it.”

Kunhang gasped. The Starbucks lemon cake was his  _ favorite.  _

“I’m sorry! I won’t judge your beverage choices ever again!”

Yukhei looked at him with fake skepticism, before finally pushing the bag forward. “Alright, here you can have it. But only because I’m kind and I don’t want to make you pay for the overpriced airplane food.”

Kunhang grabbed the lemon cake and took a bite, mumbling a quick thanks to Yukhei through a mouthful of crumbs. Yukhei only grinned and dug into his own everything bagel.

The time eventually came for them to board the plane. They were in Boarding Group B, so they had to book it through the airport from Starbucks back to their gate. When they finally reached the front of the line, Yukhei stumbled around for at least a minute trying to find their boarding passes. Kunhang stood next to him, trying not to combust from embarrassment.

Kunhang ended up getting a window seat, which he was eternally grateful for. He wasn’t sure if he would’ve survived the full six hour flight from LAX to JFK if he had been stuck in the middle seat like Yukhei.

Although it all worked out because Yukhei didn’t seem to mind his seat in the middle. Yet again, he never seemed to be bothered by much of anything.

The one drawback was that since Yukhei was in the middle seat, he had nowhere to rest his head while he slept. So naturally, it ended up resting on Kunhang’s shoulder.

Kunhang spent the last three hours of the flight sitting stock still and trying not to burst into flames.

Yukhei finally woke up when the plane touched down at JFK Airport, the wheels meeting the ground sending a jolt through the cabin. While Yukhei slowly regained his bearings, Kunhang spent the whole time they were taxiing staring out the window in awe.

Kunhang had travelled to many places in his lifetime, but he had never been to New York. As embarrassed as he was that Dejun had offered him up to go with Yukhei on break, he was ecstatic at finally being able to visit the city he had only read about in books.

Yukhei watched Kunhang with a fond smile as he practically pressed his face against the plane window, trying to get a better view. Even though it was dark in New York, he could still see the shining lights of the city that never sleeps.

“Like what you see?” Yukhei asked.

“Xuxi, I think I can see the Empire State Building from here!”

Yukhei chuckled when he caught a glimpse of what Kunhang was pointing at. “That’s not it, but I promise I’ll take you to go see it this week.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah, of course. I’m gonna give you a tour of the whole city.”

It was at least another twenty minutes until they were off the plane. Kunhang was endlessly relieved that leaving the airport was a significantly quicker process than entering; his legs felt like jelly from the long flight and he couldn’t imagine standing around in any more lines.

Once they had retrieved their luggage from their flight’s baggage claim, Yukhei led Kunhang outside to hail a taxi. Kunhang found himself looking around in wonder again; The sky was a fuzzy grey and snow fell thick all around them. Buildings in every direction were adorned with glowing Christmas lights, and people were hustling up and down the sidewalks in both directions, wrapped tightly in hats and gloves and coats.

Kunhang nudged Yukhei. “Xuxi, I don’t have any winter clothes.”

Yukhei glanced at him. The taller boy had already reached into his bag and pulled out a long downy parka. His eyes filled with concern for a moment, but then he smiled.

“It’s alright,” he told Kunhang, “I have plenty of old jackets at home that are sure to fit you.”

Kunhang nodded. He went back to catching snowflakes on the tips of his fingers. He was fascinated by the way the little dots of white melted away the moment they touched his warm skin.

“You’ve never seen snow, have you?” Yukhei suddenly asked.

Kunhang shook his head.

Yukhei’s voice was laced with excitement, “Well then, once you get some proper clothes, we’re going to play in the snow.” And with that, Kunhang was suddenly being embraced from the back by Yukhei’s big arms. 

“Yukhei, what are you—” Kunhang cried out, flailing in his friend’s grasp.

“Ssh, calm down. I’m keeping you warm.” Yukhei wrapped his jacket around Kunhang as well, so they resembled some sort of huge human burrito.

If Yukhei’s human burrito wasn’t enough to keep him warm, then the new heat in Kunhang’s cheeks would certainly do the trick.

When they finally managed to hail down a taxi, they clambered in and Yukhei rattled off his home address and they were off.    
  
  
  


Kunhang had gotten so swept up in watching the city go by out the cab window that he jumped when Yukhei tapped on his shoulder.

“We’re here,” he said, and sure enough, the cab had stopped and Yukhei had opened the door. For some reason, Yukhei’s voice sounded nervous, and his face was drawn in a much more serious expression than before.

Kunhang quickly clambered out of the cab, and once he had retrieved his suitcase from the trunk, the driver sped off and they were left alone on the sidewalk.

The street they were on was narrow and quiet. They had left the bustle of the inner city behind, and now all Kunhang could hear was the crunch of snow beneath his shoes, and Yukhei’s breath as it made little puffs in the cold air.

Snow was still falling, and the flakes were even thicker and heavier than before. The snow felt like a blanket, blocking out the rest of the world so that it was only Kunhang and Yukhei, Yukhei and Kunhang.

Kunhang was busy admiring the way the streetlights illuminated little columns of falling snow when Yukhei’s voice broke through the silence.

“Well, this is it.” He gestured to the little apartment directly in front of him. He sounded cornered. “I know it’s not much, but it’s— it’s home.”

Kunhang took in the building that Yukhei was referring to. There was a little staircase that led past the first floor apartment and up to Yukhei’s apartment. Homemade Christmas decorations adorned the front step. Kunhang could see a little mailbox, full to the brim with today’s mail. The window on the second floor was lit up with a soft glow, indicating people within.

It was small and cozy, and full of life. Kunhang loved it; he would pick here over his cold, empty San Francisco flat any day. But he understood why Yukhei was acting so nervous about it.

Yukhei was the only one of their friend group who was at USC on a full ride scholarship. They were all pretty smart, hence their ability to get in, but tuition was never an issue. They all came from pretty wealthy families, the only exception being Yukhei.

None of them really cared, and it wasn’t a topic they ever really discussed. But it was clear that Yukhei still thought about it from time to time.

“Yukhei, it’s lovely,” Kunhang breathed, “I mean it.”

“You do?”

Kunhang nodded and grabbed Yukhei’s hand, a sudden wave of confidence taking over him. “This is about a hundred times better than my sad, lonely apartment. It’s— it’s warm.”

Yukhei huffed out a small laugh, looking significantly more reassured. “Even though it’s snowing?”

Kunhang rolled his eyes. “Yes, even though it’s snowing. Now let’s go inside, how about it? I want to meet your mother.”   
  
  
  


Yukhei’s mother was a spitting image of her son, except probably about a foot shorter, and facial features significantly softer. Her hair was wrapped in a tight bun, and Kunhang was taken aback by how young she was. As soon as Yukhei had shut the door behind them, Kunhang bowed his respectfully, and held his hand out for her to shake. He was desperate to make a good first impression.

“Hello Ms. Wong, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Kunhang, a friend of Yukhei’s.” Ms. Wong offered her hand, and Kunhang shook it. “I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay here.”

“Oh, it’s no problem at all dear! It’s always a little empty around here with just the two of us, I’m really glad that we could have company this year!”

Just… the two of them? Questions swirled around in Kunhang’s head, but he decided that this was not the time to ask them.

Ms. Wong pulled Kunhang into a hug, and he practically melted. The way she hugged was soft but firm, and so filled with love Kunhang momentarily felt like her own son. He couldn’t remember if he’d ever been hugged like this before.

He was caught by surprise when Ms. Wong suddenly grabbed his face in her two hands, moving it this way and that as she gave him a careful inspection. Kunhang suddenly felt self conscious.

“Xuxi, he’s really a handsome one, isn’t he? How do you find so many handsome friends?”

Kunhang felt a blush creep across his face, but it was nothing compared to the beet red state of Yukhei’s face. 

“Mooom, stop!” Yukhei pried Kunhang out of her grasp and began steering him down a hallway that presumably led to his bedroom. 

Ms. Wong only cackled in response. “I’m making dinner, I’ll call you when it’s ready!”

Yukhei let out a long suffering sigh and a “Yes, mom!” before tugging Kunhang into a room at the end of the hallway.

Yukhei shut the door, and it was just the two of them again. Kunhang glanced around and yep, this was definitely Yukhei’s childhood bedroom.

The walls were painted a sky blue, and the bed in the corner was adorned with freshly washed sheets, little dinosaurs printed all over them. A tiny desk stood in one corner and a bookshelf in the other, and little string lights shaped like T-Rex heads were strung up around the space.

Kunhang grinned. “Dinosaurs, huh?”

“Urggh, yes.” Yukhei’s voice was muffled from where his face was hidden in his hands. “You could say that I went through a bit of a phase in middle school.”

Kunhang giggled and jumped onto Yukhei’s bed. “It’s adorable!”

Yukhei only groaned again in response.   
  
  
  


After a little while of Yukhei giving Kunhang a thorough tour of his room (who knew that Yukhei had so many trophies from middle school baseball?!), Yukhei’s mother finally called them out for dinner.

Dinner was a whole affair. Ms. Wong had prepared hotpot for them, with so many side dishes that Kunhang had no idea where to start.

Turns out that Yukhei’s mom was just as if not even more of a firecracker than her son. The pair spent a good portion of the meal arguing about which soup base is better for hotpot, and at one point they were even standing, gesturing wildly at each other to prove their point. By the end of it, Kunhang’s sides hurt from laughing so hard.

Before he even knew it, Kunhang was back in Yukhei’s room getting ready for bed. Despite all of Kunhang’s protests, Yukhei had insisted that they share his bed because  _ it’s a full sized bed, we can both fit!  _

Kunhang found him staring around the room, awkwardly waiting for Yukhei to return from the bathroom. His eyes finally fell on the windowsill that was on the wall the bed was pressed up against. The wood that surrounded the glass pane was covered in a chipping white coat of paint. All along the bottom were various little doodles and carvings that Yukhei must have put there.

Kunhang traced over the graffiti with his fingers. One was in sharpie, and depicted a smiley face along with the words, “ _ I’m in high school now!!”  _ There was yet another in what could only be glitter glue that simply said, “ _ MOM _ ”. Kunhang grinned; that must have been the work of a young Yukhei.

One carving was a little heart, with the letters YHW + ML in the middle. Kunhang’s heart dipped uncomfortably. ML… who was ML? Yukhei had never spoken of any past love interests of his. Kunhang moved his gaze away from the windowsill, a sour taste in his mouth.

Not a moment later, Yukhei burst back into the room. His hair was dripping wet, and he had on a pair of pajama pants with various Muppet characters printed on them. Kunhang smiled, having forgotten the windowsill altogether by now.

“You cozy? Need a drink of water? Or, I dunno…” Yukhei spoke at a rapid fire pace, bouncing around the room on his toes. Kunhang remembered that Yukhei always seemed to get really energetic in the evenings.

Kunhang shook his head and yawned. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Yukhei nodded, switching off the lights and climbing into bed next to Kunhang.

They laid there for a few minutes just staring at each other. Kunhang had never been this close to Yukhei’s face before, and he soaked in all the tiny details without shame. This close, he could see a tiny blemish sitting on his left cheek bone, and a tiny mole right on the curve of his upper lip. His eyelids were half-closed as the tiredness seemed to finally take hold, and Kunhang thought that he had never looked this beautiful before.

Kunhang finally couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Your mom is really nice,” he murmured.

Yukhei hummed. “She’s a little overbearing sometimes, since it’s just the two of us, but I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

There it was again.  _ Just the two of us.  _ Yukhei had never mentioned his father, or rather the absence of one, and Kunhang was curious.

“My father’s not around,” Yukhei spoke, as if he had been reading Kunhang’s mind, “I was born when my mom and dad were only 19 and 20, respectively. I was technically unplanned, and my father didn’t want to settle down yet. I never actually knew him; he dipped when I was two.”

It was silent for a moment as Kunhang processed the information suddenly dumped on him. His throat burned at the thought of a tiny Xuxi and an even younger Ms. Wong struggling to make it by all on their own.

“I’m— I’m really sorry Xuxi,” Kunhang managed, cringing at the way his voice broke. “That’s a really shitty thing to do, especially to someone as amazing as your mom.”

Yukhei sighed. “I agree, and I’ll never forgive that shithead for it. But it’s fine— I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to raise me.”

Maybe it was the deliriousness of exhaustion taking over his common sense, but Kunhang suddenly found himself tracing Yukhei’s hand delicately with his fingers. “She did a great job with that, you know.”

Even through the dark, Kunhang could see the blush on Yukhei’s cheeks. “You really think so?”

“Of course. I don’t know anyone else our age who would miss an important exam just to rescue some ducklings from a drainage ditch.” He chuckled as he recalled the event from second year, a panicked Xuxi calling Ten, unsure what to do. “You’re one of the kindest, smartest, and funniest people I know.”

“Thank you.” Kunhang pretended not to hear the fragility laced in Yukhei’s words, the way they broke off at the end as if he was holding back tears.

“Thank  _ you  _ for letting me stay here, at your home.”

And with that, Kunhang gave Yukhei’s hand one last comforting squeeze before turning over to face the window. His daily dose of confidence was sufficiently spent, and his eyelids were drooping with exhaustion. He let the sight of the New York City night sky and the ever-moving life below lull him to sleep at last.   
  
  
  


Yukhei jostled Kunhang awake at the crack of dawn the next day.

“C’mon, get up! We have to hurry, I have a lot planned for us today!” Yukhei’s eyes were lit up like his dinosaur lights. He was already fully dressed and ready to go.

Kunhang groaned and flipped over to face the window. When he cracked open one eye, he saw that the sun had barely surpassed the horizon. He groaned again.

“Xuxi, it’s barely… It’s barely light out.”

A second later, a heavy weight landed on Kunhang, squishing him into the mattress. Kunhang barely managed a squeak of surprise before the heavy weight (also known as Yukhei) was poking at his face.

“Get up, sleepyhead!” Yukhei sang.

When Kunhang finally got out of bed, Yukhei left him alone at last. He told Kunhang to get dressed as quickly as he could and that he would be in the kitchen making breakfast.

So Kunhang did just that. He donned a sweater, heavy but not too heavy, since they’d surely be walking around a lot. He wasn’t sure what shoes to wear, so he just put on his converse high tops.

Yukhei looked away from the eggs he was making when Kunhang entered the room. When he caught sight of Kunhang’s shoes, he chuckled.

“What?!” Kunhang pouted indignantly.

“Nothing, nothing,” Yukhei said, even though he was still giggling. “It’s just— those shoes are gonna get  _ ruined. _ ” 

“Ruined?”

“Yeah. The snow will soak them, and the snow melt on the roads will stain them.”

Kunhang glanced down at his shoes. “Who knew.”

Yukhei flicked off the stove, and moved the pan to divy up the eggs between two plates. “It’s alright,” he said as he carried the plates to the table, “You can borrow one of my old pairs. Speaking of— we need to get you a parka too.”

Once they finished the eggs Yukhei made (which were  _ delicious  _ by the way, Yukhei would make an amazing boyfriend— wait, what?), Yukhei dragged Kunhang over to the hall closet. 

“So since you’re much smaller than me, you’ll probably need something from early high school,” Yukhei hummed as he pushed through the absurd amount of coats they owned.

“Hey,” Kunhang whined.

“What, it’s true!”

Yukhei finally seemed to find what he was looking for, because he let out a little cheer and pulled a hanger from the closet. Before Kunhang could even reach out to take it, Yukhei was unzipping it and grabbing his arms to shove into the armholes. Kunhang squeaked with surprise, but nonetheless allowed Yukhei to manhandle him into the coat.

Kunhang was surprised by how warm the jacket was. He had never been anywhere that was remotely cold enough to require clothing this heavy, so it was strange. Kunhang felt like he was stuffed inside a big, hot cloud.

It certainly didn’t help matters that the bottom of the coat fell all the way to his knees, and the sleeves slipped over his hands, much to his chagrin.

Yukhei reached around to his back and pulled the hood over Kunhang’s head. Kunhang was startled by how the thing fell over half his face, completely blocking his vision. Not to mention that the rim of the hood was lined by this ridiculous faux fur stuff that threatened to get in his eyes.

“Why do they even make hoods this big, how are you supposed to  _ see? _ ” Kunhang complained, tilting his head back at a dramatic angle so he could see Yukhei’s face through the fluff.

Yukhei’s mouth was drawn in a dopey grin. “Cute,” he cooed at Kunhang.

Kunhang suddenly became thankful that the hood covered up most of his face. He swatted at Yukhei’s stomach with one puffy parka paw. “Are you quite finished?”

“Nope!” Yukhei sang, and quickly got back to work digging through the closet. This time he was squatted at the bottom, rooting through a storage bin. “You still need a hat and gloves, and the boots. Then the look will be complete.”

Kunhang rolled his eyes at how excited Yukhei was getting over stuffing him in winter clothes. He felt a bit like a dress-up doll when Yukhei began shoving various hats on his head, giggling like a child all the while.

Yukhei finally settled on a red knit beanie with a pompom on top— faux fur again, seriously what was the obsession with  _ fur _ — and they were finally ready to go. They bid a quick goodbye to Yukhei’s mother, and then they were walking to the nearest subway station. 

Kunhang was vibrating with excitement as Yukhei paid for their tickets. He had always wanted to ride the New York City subway.

“Dude, calm down,” Yukhei said, “It’s really just nasty. There are rats that are like, the size of my head, no joke.”

“It’s okay, rats are cute!”

Yukhei shivered. “Not these ones, trust me.”

It turns out that Yukhei was right about the subway. They did not in fact see a rat, but Kunhang did step in a mysterious sticky substance while waiting on the platform and he was led to wonder how often they actually cleaned this place, if at all.

Their first stop on Yukhei Wong’s Exclusive NYC Tour™ was Battery Park, to see the Statue of Liberty. Yukhei had wanted to take a ferry right up to Ellis Island, but all of the ferry trips that day were cancelled due to the snow from the day before.

It did nothing to wear down Yukhei’s spirits, however. He excitedly led Kunhang along the length of the park, enthusiastically recounting every ridiculous childhood tale he had from the place.

“—and this, this is where I dropped an ice cream cone when I was five,” Yukhei rambled on, quickly becoming out of breath. “Some stranger had to buy me a new one because my mom couldn’t get me to stop crying.”

Kunhang stopped walking for a moment to squash some fresh snow with his boot. “Did you get to finish that one?”

Yukhei grinned. “Nope. Dropped it right at the ice cream place.”

Kunhang let out a loud cackle. Every story Yukhei told was entertaining, even if it was about something as mundane as dropping ice cream. He was able to breathe life into every word he spoke, effectively enrapturing Kunhang’s attention. Maybe it spoke volumes about just how whipped Kunhang was for Yukhei, or maybe it was the way he emphasized every sentence with wild gestures and excited grins.

When Yukhei told stories he always sounded like he was one second away from losing a battle against his own laughter, and it was infectious.

Their next stop was the Central Park Zoo. Then they went ice skating at Rockefeller Plaza, where Kunhang face-planted at least thirty times. Once they got tired of that, Yukhei tugged him along to the Empire State Building. Kunhang began to get concerned about how much Yukhei was spending on today, but Yukhei kept them moving so quickly that Kunhang didn’t really have time to ponder.

There was a bit of a line to get up to the 86th floor observatory, but Yukhei assured him that it was much longer during the summer season. Apparently people weren’t as inclined to wait around in frigid temperatures— who would have guessed?

When they got to the top, Kunhang was in awe. He didn’t think he’d ever been up this high— he could see  _ everything.  _

Kunhang clinged to the railing surrounding the observation deck. Yukhei stepped up behind him and held onto his waist so he wouldn’t fall. It felt all warm and fuzzy, and combined with the adrenaline of their altitude, Kunhang felt like he was on top of the world.

“On clear days you can see Massachusetts or Connecticut from up here,” Yukhei murmured into Kunhang’s ear, “I’ll have to take you back here during the summer.”

Kunhang froze. Did he really mean it? Was he referring to their whole friend group or just him, just Kunhang? Was Yukhei really having a good enough time with him that he wanted to bring him here again in the future?

Either way, Kunhang’s stomach swirled with satisfied butterflies. He took a chance and leaned back into Yukhei’s warmth. When Yukhei returned the gesture and wrapped his arm fully around Kunhang’s waist, everything felt right in the world.

By the time they finally left the Empire State Building, nighttime had come. And while the skies were pitch black, the skyscrapers all around them twinkled brighter than ever. 

“Ooh, Yukhei! I want to see Time Square! It’s probably really pretty at night!”

“Ehh, Times Square is kind of overrated if you ask me.”

Kunhang pouted, pulling out the puppy dog eyes. “Pleeease?”

Yukhei huffed, exasperated, but he was instantly betrayed as a fond smile grew on his face. “Fine. But let’s not stay too long, alright? I have one last stop planned.”

The final stop turned out to be dinner. They took the subway all the way back to Yukhei’s neighborhood, and they walked the rest of the way to a humble little korean restaurant a couple blocks from Yukhei’s apartment.

A luminescent sign hung over the door that read “Lucky’s Quality Korean Eats”. A couple of menus were taped up in the well-lit windows, and a hastily shovelled path was carved in the snow leading up to the front door.

Yukhei pushed open the door, and a little bell jingled. The second they stepped into the restaurant, a voice called, “Is that my Xuxi coming to visit me?!”

Kunhang marvelled at the content smile that overtook Yukhei’s face, and the way his mighty frame seemed to curl in on itself like he was becoming a child again.

An older korean woman emerged from behind the counter, rushing over to Yukhei at a quick pace.

“Hello Auntie,” he murmured, wrapping his arms gently around the older woman, “It’s nice to see you again.”

The woman pulled back to grab Yukhei’s face in her hands. She turned it this way and that, inspecting carefully, and Yukhei let her. “You’ve grown so much already since this summer,” she cooed, “What is that school feeding you?”

Yukhei chuckled. “Nothing special, Auntie.”

The woman finally seemed to notice Kunhang standing a few feet away. She gasped, quickly leaving Yukhei behind to come inspect Kunhang.

“Who’s this, Yukhei? A boyfriend?!”

Yukhei went beet red. “N—No auntie, he’s just— he’s just a friend from school.”

The woman patted Kunhang’s chest. “My name is Sooyoung, but you can call me Lucky. Or auntie, whichever you please.”

Ahh, Lucky like the sign. She must be the restaurant’s owner.

Lucky led them through the empty dining room to a booth tucked away in the far corner, right next to the kitchen. She left them with a couple of menus before rushing off into the kitchen, shouting, “Dongmin! Yukhei’s here!”

Yukhei turned back to Kunhang, a smile still on his face. “You can ignore the menus, by the way,” Yukhei spoke, “She’s probably preparing our food already.”

Yukhei looked cozy and content in the way that Kunhang had only witnessed when they were in Yukhei and Sicheng’s shared apartment in California, and Yukhei’s home in New York. It was the relaxed slouch and lowered defenses that told Kunhang that Yukhei was at home here.

“I assume you come here a lot?” Kunhang asked.

Yukhei hummed a confirmation. “This was basically my second home as a child. My family always went there a lot, then after my dad left, Lucky basically stepped in. She helped my mom a lot.

“She taught me a lot of important things that my mom didn’t have time to teach me. After school I’d come here while I waited for my mom to finish at work, and once I completed all my homework, Lucky would teach me how to cook. Especially Korean dishes, but she taught me the Chinese dishes she knew as well.”

It was silent for a moment as Kunhang let this new information sink in. His heart hurt at the thought of a small Yukhei without a father, and a younger Ms. Wong struggling to raise Yukhei on her own. He couldn’t even imagine how difficult it must have been to have a father and a husband walk out of your life so abruptly, always having that missing piece reminding you of what was, what could have been.

But Kunhang saw what Lucky did for Yukhei and his mother, and the pain in his chest decreased. Kunhang saw the comfort and safety reflected in Yukhei’s eyes when he hugged Lucky, Kunhang saw the unconditional love reflected in Yukhei’s face as he exchanged banter with his mother, and he knew that everything had turned out alright. Yukhei had grown up with all the love and support he needed, and that was enough for Kunhang.

Kunhang came to a realization as he thought about all of the tiny details he had learned about Yukhei in just these last two days. He thought about the ice cream stories from Battery Park, he thought about Lucky and her restaurant, and even the ML engraved in Yukhei’s window. Kunhang realized that he hadn’t known much about Yukhei at all, not really.

He had known all the superficial details, like how Yukhei hated mint ice cream, or how he poured the milk in before the cereal (like the heathen he is). Before coming to New York, Kunhang had thought he had known Yukhei because he knew his favorite basketball team was the Lakers, or he always slept with a glass of water next to his bed.

Kunhang knew now that the him of the past was completely wrong, and he was only now beginning to piece together the endless puzzle that was Wong Yukhei.

Lucky finally returned a little while later, arms piled with steaming plates. She gave Yukhei one more pinch to the cheek, and Kunhang a ruffle of his hair, and then she was off again.

It was silent for a few minutes as Kunhang and Yukhei wolfed down their food. In all the excitement, Kunhang hadn’t even realized how absolutely ravenous he was. The food was phenomenal, probably the best Korean food he’d ever had. The dishes seemed to melt in his mouth, and Kunhang could practically taste the homecooked love in each bite.

“So,” Kunhang started after they had both gotten a chance to eat a little, “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

Yukhei swallowed a bite of food. “You’re going to meet my  _ other _ friends. My childhood friends.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yup. Mark Lee, my friend from middle school, and his high school sweetheart, Donghyuck Lee.”

Kunhang’s jaw dropped. Mark Lee… was  _ he  _ the notorious ‘ML’? His mind was already racing a mile a minute.

Yukhei smiled into his forkful of noodles, unaware of Kunhang’s inner conflict. “You’re gonna love them,” he said, “trust me.”   
  
  
  


The next morning, Kunhang was surprised when he was the first one up.

He gradually woke as the sun trickled in through Yukhei’s east-facing bedroom window, bathing the bed in light and making the room comfortably warm.

The next thing he registered was a sleepy sigh from beside him, and a small shuffle of the sheets. It was then that Kunhang noticed the presence of one strong arm wrapped around his torso.

Kunhang’s heart skipped a beat. He managed to turn around so he was facing a still fast asleep Yukhei. His friend’s eyelashes rested against his cheeks, and he exhaled short little breaths through his nose. Yukhei, Kunhang had learned, slept without a shirt on, so all the little freckles on his shoulders and chest were on full display.

Kunhang wondered briefly if it was creepy to watch Yukhei sleep like this. He waved the concern aside though, because who knew when he would get another chance like this, to appreciate all the fine little details of Yukhei that could only be observed up close?

Kunhang reached out and delicately brushed a few strands of hair out of Yukhei’s face. He giggled when the strands just fell right back to their original spot, and the sensation caused Yukhei’s nose to scrunch in his sleep.

After a few more minutes of Kunhang peacefully observing Yukhei’s face, Yukhei began to shuffle even more. Kunhang could tell he was waking up, so in a panic, he squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to still be asleep.

Yukhei withdrew his arm from around Kunhang’s waist, and Kunhang felt suddenly cold without Yukhei’s warmth clinging to him. He could hear a yawn and a stretch coming from Yukhei, then silence again as the boy stilled.

Kunhang could practically feel Yukhei’s eyes burning into his face, watching him. Sweat prickled at his hairline, and he hoped that his faked sleep was convincing enough. Then, Yukhei did something Kunhang never would have anticipated— he reached out and ran a finger along Kunhang’s cheek.

Kunhang was frozen stiff. What in the world was Yukhei doing? He was trying his absolute best not to move and completely blow his cover. He tried his best not to squeak in surprise when Yukhei began playing with  _ his  _ hair. 

“C’mon, wake up sleepy,” Yukhei mumbled, and began patting Kunhang’s cheek. Kunhang cracked his eyes open slowly, pretending to be all disoriented like he hadn’t been awake this whole time.

Yukhei was still lying on his side facing Kunhang, a sleepy smile gracing his beautiful face. It was almost sickening how domestic this all felt, and it sent a sharp stab of hurt through Kunhang’s chest that he likely would never get to hold Yukhei in the way he really wished to.

Rising and getting ready that day was significantly lazier than the day before. They had no pressure of a packed schedule to make them hurry, so they stayed in their pajamas as Yukhei cooked blueberry pancakes for breakfast, and Kunhang made a pot of coffee.

The silence that hung over them was so peaceful, Kunhang felt like he could fall right back asleep where he sat at the kitchen bar, a beam of sunlight warming his back as he nursed his cup of coffee and watched Yukhei cook.

He found himself once again observing Yukhei. The boy was still shirtless, wearing a baby blue apron over his bare chest as he flipped pancakes. He had a pair of bunny slippers on, and he’d done nothing to calm the raging bed-head he had going. Kunhang’s heart yearned to walk up to him and wrap his arms around Yukhei from behind. It felt delusional, but he couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to wake up to that scene every day for the rest of his life.

When the pancakes were finally served and Yukhei was seated beside Kunhang at the bar with his own cup of coffee, Yukhei turned to Kunhang and finally broke the silence.

“You know, you’ve been very quiet these past few days.”

Kunhang furrowed his brows and turned to look at Yukhei. “What do you mean?”

“I dunno,” Yukhei said, shrugging, “It’s just that— when we’re with our friends, you’re like, super energetic. The comedian, the mood maker. But now that it’s just the two of us, you’re much more, I don’t know— peaceful?”

Kunhang nodded in understanding. He did have a reputation within their friend group of being the boisterous one that started trouble and entertained. With Yukhei, however, he didn’t feel that same  _ need  _ to constantly make his presence known.

“I’m not sure, either. I guess it’s like, different just being one on one, you know? I guess this is just how I am when I’m not in a group of people.”

Yukhei smiled, “I like this other you. Both versions are nice, but— I like this one on one Kunhang.”

Kunhang’s face burned red, and he quickly turned back to his stack of pancakes. He hoped his shy smile went unnoticed.   
  
  
  


Nerves burned in Kunhang’s gut like a wildfire as he and Yukhei walked to where they had arranged to meet Mark Lee. 

Yukhei and Mark must have had  _ something  _ between them once upon a time, whether it was mutual or just one-sided. Kunhang had no idea if the feelings were still there or not, but that heart etched in Yukhei’s windowsill couldn’t have meant nothing.

Kunhang honestly had no idea what to expect. Who was Mark Lee? Was he a jock, a nerd? Was he taller than Kunhang, or shorter? He must be really handsome if Yukhei liked him like that.

Yukhei seemed to notice his nerves, because he wrapped his own gloved hand around Kunhang’s, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“It’s gonna be fine, Mark and Donghyuck are really nice,” Yukhei assured him, “If they were even a little mean, I wouldn’t hang out with them.”

Kunhang took in Yukhei’s friendly grin, and he nodded, squeezing his hand back. “I know that.”

The meetup was taking place at the basketball court at the park just a few blocks away from Yukhei’s place. It was apparently where Yukhei and Mark, and eventually Donghyuck would spend their days on weekends and after school.

As they approached, Kunhang noticed that the court had been shovelled off, and two figures stood on the court already. One was shooting hoop after flawless hoop, and the other stood a few feet away, watching.

Both of their heads turned as Yukhei and Kunhang approached.

“Mark, my brother! It’s been way too long!” Yukhei shouted as he ran up to the boy that had been shooting hoops. Kunhang’s eyes went wide; this was  _ the  _ Mark Lee. He wasn’t particularly tall— probably just a bit shorter than Kunhang— and where Kunhang had been expecting some sort of perfectly chiselled face and god-like proportions, Mark’s face was just— soft. He was still handsome, but in a much more humble and friendly sort of way. He looked like the sweet boy next door that was best friends with your mom and volunteered every Sunday.

Kunhang watched in confused amazement as Yukhei and Mark participated in some strange bro ritual. There was some sort of handshake and definitely a side hug involved.

Kunhang turned his head when he heard a chuckle, and he noticed that the other boy who had been standing and watching now had his eyes on Kunhang. This must have been Donghyuck, Mark’s ‘high school sweetheart’. The boy was beautiful; he had golden skin and plush lips, and fluffy caramel-colored hair that fell across his forehead just perfectly. He looked like someone Kunhang would find on the cover of one of Dejun’s celebrity magazines.

“My name is Donghyuck,” Donghyuck said, sticking his hand out to shake, “and you must be Kunhang? Yukhei’s friend?”

“That’s me,” Kunhang responded, “Nice to meet you.”

He glanced over to Yukhei and Mark, only to see that they were still fully engaged in their bro ritual. Donghyuck followed his gaze, and chuckled again.

“Don’t worry about them,” he said, “They’re going to be at it for a while.”

Kunhang nodded, and he felt a smile grow on his face. He was starting to like this Donghyuck guy. “So you’re dating Mark, right?”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes fondly. “Yup, have been since sophomore year of high school. He’s a pain in the ass sometimes, but I love him more than anything.”

Kunhang watched the way Donghyuck looked at Mark with overflowing fondness, and he felt a stab of jealousy. He wanted more than anything to have what they had.

“You like Yukhei, don’t you?”

Kunhang startled at the sudden question, and whipped his head back towards Hyuck with wide eyes. “I— I mean, I—”

“Ssh, it’s okay, I won’t tell him.” Donghyuck nudged Kunhang’s arm. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Kunhang nodded, relieved. “Thanks.”

“How long? Have you liked him, I mean.”

“Huh? Oh, umm… since college freshman year I think?”

Donghyuck looked at him with eyes full of sympathy. “I know it’s probably not what you want to hear, but I think you should just confess to him.”

Donghyuck was right, that wasn’t very helpful. “I know that,” Kunhang began, “It’s just— It’s hard, you know?”

“Of course I understand,” Donghyuck nodded, “And so does Yukhei, more than you probably know. He knows better than anyone what that feels like. And even if he didn’t reciprocate your feelings, I can guarantee that he’d keep on being your friend.”

Kunhang’s head swirled with confusion. “What— What does that mean?”

Donghyuck only smiled. “You’ll find out soon enough. Just ask him, and I’m sure he’d be glad to tell you.”

The conversation ended there when Yukhei and Mark made their way back over, asking Kunhang and Donghyuck if they wanted to play some basketball. Kunhang immediately jumped on board; playing basketball games in between classes with his friends back at USC was one of his favorite pastimes.

Mark, as it turned out, was a basketball star— he had apparently played all through high school, even bringing the team to states two years in a row. Mark was good competition, and by the time Kunhang and Yukhei returned home that night, his legs burned from running and his face hurt from smiling.

Whatever Mark was to Yukhei, Kunhang didn’t care— he had made two new friends that day.   
  
  
  


Christmas Day finally arrived, starting off with a bang when Yukhei began jumping on the bed to wake Kunhang up, shouting over and over that it was Christmas.

(“Yukhei, for christ’s sake how old are you?!”

“Umm, 5 years old, thank you very much!”)

When Kunhang began to get dressed, Yukhei scolded him and told him that he  _ needed to stay in his pajamas all morning, it’s Christmas rules _ —

As soon as they entered the living room, Kunhang was hit in the face with a dozen different scents and sounds. He heard the sizzle of a pan and the saccharine scent of Yukhei’s mom preparing french toast for breakfast in the kitchen. There was a CD of Christmas classics playing in the radio above the television; Burl Ives was currently belting out “Have A Holly Jolly Christmas” into the Wongs’ living room.

What caught Kunhang’s attention most of all was the stout little Christmas tree planted in the corner. Kunhang and Yukhei had helped decorate it a couple days prior, but it carried a new life now that the string lights wrapped around it were fully lit, and presents were piled high all around its base.

Yukhei led Kunhang over to sit by the Christmas tree to wait for Ms. Wong to finish with the food. Kunhang admired the ornaments on the tree; each one was different from the next as if they’d been collected over the years, some handmade and some souvenirs from past vacations.

The gifts under the tree were all wrapped with charming wrapping paper featuring cartoon snowmen and reindeer. Not a single gift had a perfect wrapping job, and it made Kunhang smile. Every Christmas he had ever known had been completely different. They always featured a minimalist tree in a vast, empty living room, and the gifts were always pristinely wrapped with plain, silver paper.

Christmases always consisted of Kunhang unwrapping his mountains of shiny new toys while his parents sat stiffly on the couch, watching with barely there smiles.

Christmas at the Yukhei’s— it felt warm and cozy. It felt like all of those Christmases in the movies; full of love and cheer, and Kunhang didn’t know how he even deserved to experience something so special. He would have started crying if Ms. Wong hadn’t chosen that exact moment to come over, arms piled with plated of steaming french toast.

“On Christmas we always start opening gifts with the youngest person,” Ms. Wong spoke as she took a seat on the floor next to the tree, “So I suppose that’s you, Kunhang dear!”

Kunhang paused. “Oh— I have presents?”

“Of course you do,” Ms. Wong reprimanded, “What kind of question is that?!”

Yukhei reached forward, and plucked a medium sized box from the center of the pile. “This one’s for you, from my mom.”

Kunhang took the gift in his hand and with trembling hands, tore back the wrapping paper. Ms. Wong had absolutely no obligation to get him gifts— she had only known him for a few days— yet she did anyway, and it made Kunhang feel all warm inside.

He opened the small box contained in the wrapping paper, and he pulled out a long-sleeved t-shirt with a little cat embroidered on the front. “Wow, this is adorable!” Kunhang held it up, and it was exactly his size. “Did you—”

“—make it? Sure did,” Ms. Wong finished, “I’m sure you’ve seen Yukhei’s, it has a dinosaur since that’s his favorite animal. I wasn’t sure what your favorite animal was, but you seemed like a cat person.”

Cats were, in fact, Kunhang’s favorite animal. “I— you did this all in a few days?”

Ms. Wong nodded proudly, “I work fast.”

“Thank you so much. I— I love it. I can’t believe— this is so nice.”

Ms. Wong looked Kunhang in the eyes, and she must have seen something there that Kunhang didn’t realize, because she was suddenly enveloping him in a warm hug. “You’re family now, dear. Any time.”

Kunhang was glad when the attention finally shifted from him to Yukhei, because his eyes began to prickle with tears.

The rest of the morning continued on like that, and the cheerful spirit didn’t die down in the slightest. Kunhang watched with a warm heart as Yukhei excitedly opened all his gifts from his mother and Kunhang, and he revelled in the warm hugs Ms. Wong gave him every time she opened a gift of his.

The second time Kunhang began to choke up was when he opened his final gift, one that Yukhei gave him. It was a tiny snow globe of the Empire State Building. Kunhang shook it and watched mesmerized as all the snow slowly sunk to the bottom again.

“You really enjoyed visiting it, and I saw you appreciating it at the gift shop,” Yukhei rambled, “and I also know that you love the movie Elf, and this snow globe looks just like Buddy’s—”

“It’s wonderful, Xuxi,” Kunhang interrupted, voice soft, “I love it.”

Yukhei cleared his throat, embarrassed. “I’m glad.”

It was later that evening, in the middle of cleaning up the wrapping paper with Yukhei while simultaneously dancing to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, when Kunhang’s phone rang.

Both he and Yukhei looked at it, surprised. When Kunhang finally came to his senses he picked it up, and was even more shocked when his mother’s cell phone number flashed across the screen.

Kunhang’s heart rate accelerated. Maybe they were calling to tell him a Merry Christmas. Maybe they hadn’t forgotten about him after all. “I—I’m going to go take this, be right back,” Kunhang stuttered to Yukhei, before stumbling out into the hallway outside the apartment.

“Mom? Hello?” Kunhang gasped into his phone the second he picked up.

“Ahh, Kunhang darling. How are you doing?” His mother sound distant, as if she was busy with something else as well. Kunhang tried to ignore it.

“I’m doing well, how are you and Father?”

“We’re doing well. Listen Kunhang, there’s something I need to tell you. Your father and I won’t be home until after break, so we won’t be able to see you at all.”

Kunhang’s heart dropped to his feet. It was then he realized that he had neglected to tell them that he was in New York for the holidays. He waited a bit for some sort of  _ We’re sorry that we couldn’t spend Christmas with you _ , but it never came. 

Silence stretched on for a few seconds as Kunhang sat there, unsure of what to say, hoping his mother would elaborate. Finally there came a simple, “Well, that’s all from me. Is there anything else you need?”

Kunhang’s throat began to close up, and his heart sank straight through his feet and out of his body. His voice trembled as he spoke, “No, I’m— I’m good.”

“Alright then. Well, I hope you’ll excuse me, but I have somewhere I need to be. Goodbye Kunhang, be good for me.”

Then the line went dead. Kunhang listened to the buzzing of the phone as he let his back slide down the wall until he was seated on the floor, curled up in a ball.

No  _ I love you,  _ No  _ see you soon,  _ nothing. It had always been like that, but that fact didn’t make it hurt any less.

Kunhang had no idea how long he had sat there when Yukhei finally came bursting outside. “Hennie, what are you—” he began, but stopped short when his eyes fell on Kunhang’s curled up form. The playful smile that had adorned his face gave way to an expression of concern and confusion. When he dropped into a crouch beside Kunhang, Yukhei’s face was pale.

“Hennie, what— what happened?” Yukhei sounded fragile as he spoke. The boy reached forward to swipe beneath Kunhang’s eyes, and that was when Kunhang realized he was crying.

The longer Yukhei crouched there, holding Kunhang’s face like he was his entire world, the harder Kunhang sobbed. He couldn’t even speak with how hard the tears were coming down now, so Yukhei wordlessly pulled them both to their feet and wrapped Kunhang in a hug.

They stood there like that, rocking back and forth slowly, Yukhei rubbing circles on Kunhang’s back and Kunhang’s face buried in Yukhei’s chest.

It was warm here, and safe. The strong and steady thump of Yukhei’s heart lulled Kunhang into a suspended state of peace. He had never felt tinier than he did wrapped in Yukhei’s arms, but it also felt so perfect, and he never wanted to leave.

When his sobs finally slowed almost to a stop, Yukhei leaned back to look him in the face, and wipe the last of his tears away. Kunhang probably looked so gross and swollen, but he couldn’t even find it within him to care.

“You wanna go for a walk?” Yukhei murmured, and Kunhang nodded.

Yukhei walked side by side in silence, their joined arms swinging between them. Only the shine of the streetlights led the way, and fat snowflakes were falling from the sky once again. Kunhang recalled the snowy night on which they had arrived in New York City, and it already felt like a lifetime ago.

It turned out that Yukhei had led them to the park; the same one where they had played basketball with Mark and Donghyuck days prior. Instead of heading for the basketball court, however, this time they stopped at the empty playground.

It was dark, and all of the equipment was covered in a dusting of snow. Yukhei sat down in one of the swings, and Kunhang would have laughed at the way his giant body barely fit if he hadn’t been feeling so shitty. Kunhang squeezed into the swing next to him, and pushed himself off the ground.

It was silent for a few more moments, the only sounds being the creak of the rusty swings and the traffic in the far distance. At last, Yukhei spoke up.

“Was it your parents?” he asked softly.

Kunhang nodded. “How did you know?”

Yukhei shrugged. “You never really talk about them. They were too busy to spend Christmas with their own son this year, and I can tell it’s been bothering you. It’s only likely that that call was them, unconsciously rubbing salt in the wound.”

Kunhang was caught off guard by how accurate Yukhei’s assumptions were. It was easy to forget sometimes, with how the older boy was so playful goofy all the time, how smart and attentive he really was. It only served to remind Kunhang how head over heels he was for Yukhei.

“It’s just— sometimes I feel like they don’t actually love me.”

Yukhei frowned. “Certainly that can’t be true.”

Kunhang only shook his head and laughed, before staring off at some random point in the distance. “This Christmas has probably been the best one in my whole life. I had no idea how loving and warm family could be. I mean— I’ve seen it in movies, but I always thought it was just exaggerated.”

Yukhei didn’t say anything, waiting for Kunhang to continue, so he did.

“Your mom has been more of a mother to me in the last week than my own mother has in her whole life. And not to mention  _ you,  _ Xuxi, I mean I don’t even know how to express—” Kunhang stopped in the middle of his sentence, and took a deep breath.

He knew what was naturally coming, and he figured he couldn’t keep pushing it away forever. It was now or nothing, “YOLO” and all that. Kunhang had no idea how to even go about explaining his feelings to Yukhei, so he decided it was better not to overthink it, and just let his mouth do the talking.

“Yukhei, do you know why I was so nervous to meet Mark the other day?”

He glanced over to Yukhei, and was met with an adorably confused expression from the other boy. “I don’t know,” Yukhei began hesitantly, “You get nervous around new people?”

Kunhang shook his head, and took a deep breath. He tried to ignore the nervous way his leg bounced up and down, or the sweatiness of his hands where they gripped the swing’s chains. “No, actually. I’m not sure if you remember, but you have a lot of little carvings and drawings on your windowsill. I was looking at them on the first night we were here.”

Yukhei’s eyes widened, and Kunhang pressed on.

“One of them was a little heart, with your and Mark’s initials in it.”

A flash of recognition lit up Yukhei’s eyes. “Riiight, I remember that!” Yukhei giggled. “I had a huge crush on Mark in freshman year of high school. It was unrequited though, when I finally got the balls to confess, he told me he was actually crushing on Donghyuck. I got over it pretty fast.”

Kunhang suddenly recalled what Donghyuck had told him at the basketball courts. This was what he meant when he said that Yukhei knew better than anyone what it was like to harbor a hopeless crush.

A moment passed after Yukhei finished his story before he glanced back at Kunhang in confusion. “But what does that have to do with you being nervous?”

“Well… I was nervous that you still liked him.”

Yukhei stared at Kunhang, brows furrowed in thought as he attempted to piece together the meaning behind Kunhang’s words. Kunhang could see exactly when it clicked in Yukhei’s head, because his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

“Really? I mean— do you really like me? Like,  _ like  _ like me?”

Kunhang laughed, but his stomach was filled with butterflies. “Yes, silly. I  _ like  _ like you.”

Yukhei stared wide eyed at Kunhang for a few more terrifying seconds before his face split into a huge grin. “No way.”

“What do you mean, no way?” Kunhang said, defensive.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Wait, what?!”

Kunhang barely had time to register what was happening before Yukhei’s hands were on his face, and warm lips connected with his.

Kissing Yukhei was everything Kunhang had imagined it to be, yet at the same time, nothing at all like it. Yukhei was just as good a kisser as Kunhang had thought, and his lips were just as soft and plush as they looked.

But it was also not nearly as cliche as he had thought. There was no fireworks show, the world did not spin all around them— everything was just the same, it was only a pair of lips moving in harmony. All Kunhang could think of was that it felt  _ right,  _ like they had entered a world where the only people meant to be there were him and Yukhei.

Yukhei was the first one to pull away, immediately moving to cradle Kunhang’s face in his hands. Once again he was looking at Kunhang like he was his entire world, and now, that seemed like much more of a likely possibility.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that,” Yukhei huffed with a laugh.

Kunhang snorted. “Well, I’ve wanted to since Freshman year.”

“I think I’ve wanted to since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Kunhang groaned, and sent a half-hearted punch to Yukhei’s bicep. “Who knew you were such a big cheeseball.”

“Hey, it’s true!”

“So… what are we now?” Kunhang asked tentatively.

“Whatever you want to be.”

“Boyfriends?”

Yukhei grinned. “I’d like that.”   
  
  
  


The final day in New York finally came, despite Kunhang’s every wish that they could just stay here forever. The only reason Kunhang was able to keep his composure was because he needed to comfort Yukhei, who was undeniably a bit of a mess.

“I’m gonna miss these little dinosaur lights,” Yukhei sniffed, staring forlornly at the glowing t-rexes strung across the wall.

Kunhang patted his shoulder. “It’ll be okay, big guy. Just think about how great it’ll be to see our friends again. Besides,” Kunhang said, “I’ll be coming with you, remember?”

Yukhei gave Kunhang a watery smile and pulled him into a hug. “Well, when you put it that way…” he mumbled into Kunhang’s shoulder.

“You know what? We can also stop at the IHOP in JFK before our flight leaves, if you’d like.”

All traces of sadness were suddenly forgotten, and Yukhei was looking like an excited puppy. The only thing he was missing was a wagging tail. “You really mean it?” 

“Of course I do,” Kunhang chuckled.

They looked back down at their suitcases, before looking back at each other.

“Our Lyft is going to be here in 20 minutes,” Kunhang mumbled, “we should go say goodbye.”

Saying goodbye was easier said than done. Yukhei completely just let himself go as soon as his mom pulled him in for a hug, and now he was just sobbing into her arms as she tried to soothe him.

When Yukhei finally let go, Ms. Wong turned to Kunhang and damn, even  _ his  _ eyes were beginning to prickle a little.

“Kunhang dear,” she murmured as she ran her fingers rhythmically through his hair, “I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I see how happy you make my son, and that makes you as good as a son in my eyes. You are one of the nicest boys I’ve ever met, and if you’re available next Christmas, I’d love to have you again.”

Kunhang’s eyes were full on brimming with tears by now. “Thank you so much for having me,” he murmured, “I really— this has been the best Christmas I’ve ever— I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

Ms. Wong didn’t even question his words, she only squeezed him tighter. Kunhang knew that mother’s instinct had told her all she needed to know about him. She accepted him unconditionally, giving him all of the parental love that he’s never known.

Kunhang was infinitely thankful that Yukhei had had such an amazing woman to raise him. Even though his father was never in the picture, Ms. Wong more than made up for the empty gap he left behind.

“You ready?” Kunhang asked Yukhei when he finally let go of Ms. Wong. 

Yukhei nodded wordlessly, giving his mother one last squeeze before following Kunhang to the door.   
  
  
  


The flight home was fairly uneventful. They did end up getting IHOP like Yukhei wanted, just before they boarded their flight. Yukhei was fairly quiet the whole way home and Kunhang didn’t feel like pushing conversation on him, so he instead let him fall asleep in his arms until they landed.

Dejun was there at the airport to pick them up. Kunhang couldn’t help but laugh at the way he seemed to vibrate with excitement upon catching sight of them.

“Hennie! Cas! You’re back!” Dejun bounced on his toes as he hugged both Kunhang and Yukhei in turn. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“It’s only been a week, Junnie,” Kunhang teased, already filled with warmth upon seeing his best friend again.

Dejun only ignored him, instead turning back to Yukhei. “How are you feeling Cas? You seem tired.”

Yukhei gave him a lazy smile. “I am, but I’m glad to be back.”

The car ride to drop off Yukhei was mostly filled with Dejun babbling away in the driver’s seat, excitedly filling them in on everyone’s vacation.

(“—and then Kun was too nice to just leave the guy there, so he ended up offering to drive him to the hospital! And Ten had no idea where he went, so he was  _ freaking  _ out, it was so funny you guys, he even called  _ me _ —”

“That’s fascinating, Jun.”

“Right?! And then Yangyang met this guy while he was home in China, his name’s Renjun I think? Oh my god, I’m gonna have to fill you in on all the dirty details of  _ that!” _ )

Kunhang and Yukhei both slid out of the backseat when they pulled up at Yukhei and Sicheng’s apartment. Kunhang helped him tug all of his luggage out of the trunk and place it on the side walk.

It felt weird to leave Yukhei after never straying from his side for a whole week. Kunhang’s head spun at how vastly their relationship had changed in such a short period of time.

“Well,” Kunhang stalled, “I’ll see you soon?”

He stared up at Yukhei. His new boyfriend. Wow, Wong Yukhei was his  _ boyfriend  _ now. 

“Yes, very soon. Or else I’m gonna start missing you.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. You can come over whenever you want. We can have movie dates and stuff. Since, you know, we’re dating.”

Yukhei grinned, and pulled Kunhang in by his waist. “Sounds amazing,  _ honey. _ ”

Kunhang fake gagged. “Eww don’t call me that.”

“How about sweetie pie? Honey bear?”

“Yukhei!”

Yukhei giggled. “Fine then, I’ll have to settle with plain old Hennie for now. Just until I think of a better nickname.” He dropped a quick peck on Kunhang’s nose. He began to turn away, but Kunhang grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down into a proper kiss.

When Yukhei had finally retreated inside, Kunhang turned back to the passenger’s seat and climbed back in next to Dejun. Said boy was staring at Kunhang with the most scandalized expression he had ever seen.

“Wong. Kun. Hang. What the fuck was that.”

Kunhang giggled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about! I  _ knew  _ it, I  _ knew  _ you guys would get together! I told you so, didn’t I?”

“I guess you did.”

“So you admit that I’m right?! Just a moment, we can’t go home yet. I have to text  _ everyone  _ and tell them the news.”

“Alright, you do that. Let them know he isn’t single anymore.”

**Author's Note:**

> [My Twitter](https://twitter.com/princehuangss) | [My CuriousCat](curiouscat.qa/princehuangss) ♡


End file.
